Teens with BB gun caught committing string of heists in Loop, Near North Side: feds

Two teenagers are facing federal charges in a string of heists over the last week in the Loop and Near North Side.

Brantez Evans, 18 and Lamarr Brown, 19, allegedly used a BB gun to rob three Subway restaurants and a minimart, according to the U.S. Attorney’s Office of the Northern District of Illinois.

They were arrested by Chicago police Tuesday minutes after allegedly robbing a Subway restaurant at 1234 N. Halsted St., prosecutors said.

They had both entered the Subway, and Brown approached the counter, raised his shirt to show a gun and said, “Give me the money... Come on man you don’t want to get shot,” a criminal complaint states.

Brown grabbed the register’s cash — $307 in all — a took off with Evans, prosecutors said. Evans returned to the Subway again shortly after to pick up a backpack he left on a chair, prosecutors said. Chicago police arrested the pair about a half mile north in the 1500 block of North Dayton Street.

Evans and Brown were also charged with three other robberies that happened:

• June 21 at Subway Restaurant, 177 N. Wells,
• June 24 at Subway Restaurant, 166 N. Wabash; where they allegedly stole $200; and
• June 25 at Loop Mini Mart, 14 W. Jackson.

The pair also attempted to rob a Dunkin’ Donuts at 10 W. Chicago on June 25, prosecutors said. Evans said, “This is a stick up” and showed a gun in his waistband, but the employees did not comply, prosecutors said. Evans said, “We’re not going to get anything,” and they both left the restaurant, the complaint states.

Brown and Evans are each facing a federal count of robbery, which is punishable by up to 20 years in prison, because their alleged robbery of a Subway Restaurant is considered to be obstructing interstate commerce.

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U.S. Attorney’s Office